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NEWS

Robson ousted, Decker in as Senate majority leader

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by Teresa Welsh

Thursday, October 25, 2007

After passing the long overdue state budget through the Legislature Tuesday, Senate Democrats have elected a new leader.

Sen. Russ Decker, D-Weston, has replaced Sen. Judy Robson, D-Beloit, as Senate Majority Leader. The vote took place Wednesday in a closed caucus where all 18 Senate Democrats cast a ballot. Democrats had also caucused Tuesday night after approving the budget, and according to Decker’s spokesperson Carrie Linch, discussed a possible change in leadership at that time.

“Some folks just wanted to go with a different style leadership, and refocus our message and work toward that,” Linch said.

She added Decker had no long-term plans to take the leadership role, but several other senators approached him about taking over.

Sen. Scott Fitzgerald, R- Juneau, said he did not sense the switch coming from the Democratic side.

“It is very unusual for there to be a change, not only in the middle of the biennial session, but you know, right after the state budget vote,” Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald is on the Joint Committee on Finance with Decker, a co-chair, and said he has known him for 13 years.

“I think we have a pretty straightforward kind of relationship,” Fitzgerald said. “We have always dealt with each other honestly and tried to be as forthright as we could.”

Linch said Decker has a good relationship with Republicans and has no problem working closely with them.

“But that doesn’t mean he’s not going to stand up to our issues,” Linch said.

Jay Heck, executive director of Common Cause in Wisconsin, Wisconsin’s largest nonpartisan citizen reform advocacy group, said the real reason for the leadership change may never be publicized.

“It may be that Senate Democrats felt that they didn’t … get enough in the compromise. It may be that they felt that they wanted leadership that was more confrontational than Senator Robson,” Heck said. “It’s hard to know. The vote was taken in a closed caucus so we don’t know who voted for who.”

According to Heck, it is typical for Democrats to caucus after taking actions such as passing a budget. A caucus can also be held whenever there is a call by members to meet. Senators can open caucus in a roundtable setting, where aides and the press are allowed to listen in. Then a closed caucus takes place, where only the Senators are allowed inside.

Gov. Jim Doyle’s office declined to comment on the outcome of the caucus, but Carla Vigue, Doyle’s spokesperson, said only positive things about Robson.

“Senator Robson has been a tremendous leader for the Senate,” Vigue said. “The governor is grateful to Senator Robson for everything she did to help support this budget.”

Because of the budget, Heck thinks Robson has to be disappointed by the timing of the leadership change.

“I’ve got to believe that Senator Robson feels just horrible after having worked through this entire session on the budget for the last 10 months, to be ousted two days after the Senate and the Assembly vote to adopt it,” Heck said. “But, as they say, that’s politics.”

As of press time, calls to Senator Robson’s office were unreturned.

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